Recreational Facilities
A multitude of events occur in Jacksonville throughout the year. The city's calendar of cultural events offers an exciting selection.
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra continues to affirm its place as the leading performing arts organization in Jacksonville and a vital part of cultural life on the First Coast. As one of a handful of American orchestras with its own dedicated concert hall, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra performs the majority of its programs in the internationally recognized Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, the only true orchestra concert hall in Florida. The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra also reaches audiences in venues that vary from schools and senior citizen centers to stages throughout Florida and the Southeastern United States. Local listeners can hear weekly JSO broadcasts on WJCT 89.9 FM, and in recent seasons, the JSO has reached a national audience with appearances on National Public Radio's "Performance Today." With a budget of $6.2 million, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra reaches over 220,000 residents on the First Coast and throughout Florida. Nearly half of these residents are children, who benefit from the Symphony's extensive education programs, including concerts, ensemble performances and master classes, a school partnership program - Symphony Schools - and the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra. In addition to last season's schedule of 129 concerts, Symphony musicians gave nearly 200 educational ensemble performances in schools and senior centers.
Several ballet companies, including the professional Florida Ballet at Jacksonville, offer regular performances. The St. Johns River City Band, Jacksonville's "official band", offers frequent outdoor concerts. Three Jacksonville museums offer widely varying exhibits and programs. The Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia areas have numerous activities suited to the most discriminating person. Due to its weather and normally moderate conditions, Jacksonville and the surrounding area is a Mecca for outdoor activities.
The NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars play their home games in Alltel Stadium, a modern sports complex on the east side of downtown Jacksonville. The stadium seats 73,000 plus, and is also the location of both the nationally televised "Gator Bowl", a Holiday Classic, and the traditional University of Florida-University of Georgia "Florida-Georgia" football clash.
If you like baseball, the Jacksonville Suns, AA Farm Team of the LA Dodgers, calls Jacksonville their home.
Hockey has come to Jacksonville too! The "Jacksonville Barracudas" are in the newly formed Southern Professional Hockey League. Last year the Barracudas were the Atlantic Coast Hockey League Champions.
Greyhound dog racing, rotates year-round between three area tracks, racing live at one track and simulcast at the others.
Boating, swimming, water skiing, fresh and salt water fishing, wind surfing, surfing, sailing and other water sports are popular year around.
There are numerous options for Golfing in Northeast Florida, and Golf's "Hall of Fame" is located at the World Golf Village
Other Florida attractions within easy driving distance include: St. Augustine, the nations oldest city, Sea World, Cape Canaveral, Cypress Gardens, Silver Springs, Walt Disney World, Epcot Center, Universal, MGM Studios, and Busch Gardens.
There are over 50 denominations and faiths represented in the First Coast area with a total of more than 500 churches, Synagogues, and Mosques. Places of worship are listed by denomination in the yellow pages of the telephone directory.
Homes Near Base
